Simulated candle



April 25, 1967 D MaCDQNALD SIMULATED CANDLE Filed Feb. 28, 1966 m m T WM A H United States Patent 3,315,497 SINIULATED CANDLE Robert D. MacDonald, Tecumseh, Mich., assignor to Cardinal of Adrian, Inc., Adrian, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed Feb. 28, 1966, Ser. No. 530,314 8 Claims. (CI. 67-55) This invention relates to a device simulating a candle for burning combustible liquids and for producing heat and light.

A device in accordance with the invention is particularly suitable for use with receptacles for holding food or drink, such as casserole dishes and carafes, to maintain the contents at elevated temperatures. In addition, the device in accordance with the invention can be used in an end of a long translucent tube to provide a simulated candle designed primarily for light and decoration. In the latter embodiment, the light from the device can be transmitted substantially throughout the length of the tube to provide an unusual and attractive effect.

The device is capable of burning low-cost combustible liquids such as salad oil to provide a very inexpensive source of light and heat and the device itself can be manufactured very inexpensively. Due to the fact that the device burns combustible liquids which are transparent or at least light-transmitting, light is given olf in all directions from the source of flame, and not just in an upper direction. This further enhances the decorative effect of the device, even when primarily used for warming purposes.

More specifically, the device in accordance with the invention includes a one-piece receptacle preferably of light-transmitting material, with light being transmitted through the liquid and the sidewall of the receptacle, from which it is diffused, in a preferred form. A metal tube with a wick extending therefrom is centrally held in a recess in the bottom of the receptable and has openings through which the combustible liquid is received, carried up the wick, and burned above the metal tube. The tube serves to maintain the wick in proper position, to aid in regulating the length of the flame, and to prevent the wick from burning below the top of the tube should the liquid become exhausted from the receptacle.

It is, therefore, a principal object of the invention to provide a device for burning combustible liquids to provide a source of heat and light.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lowcost device for burning low-cost fuel.

A further object of teh invention is to provide a device for maintaining food and drink at elevated temperatures.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device simulating a candle which will transmit light substantially over its entire length Yet another object of the invention is to provide a device for burning a light-transmitting combustible liquid wherein the device has a light-transmitting wall with a light-diffusing surface for transmitting and diffusing light from a flame of the device.

Many other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, reference being made to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is an overall view in perspective of a combustible liquid burning device embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in vertical cross section taken centrally through the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the device of FIGS. 1 and 2; and

FIG. 4 is a view in vertical cross section of the device of FIGS. 1-3 embodied in a long light-transmitting tube generally simulating a conventional candle.

3,3 15 ,49 7 Patented Apr. 25, 1967 Referring to FIGS 1-3, a combustible liquid fuel burning device according to the invention is indicated at 10. In a preferred form, the device 10 includes a receptacle 12 made in one piece of a medium impact polystyrene plastic material. The receptacle 12 includes a sidewall 14 having a light-diffusing outer surface 16 which, as shown in FIG. 3, preferably includes a plurality of ridge-shaped surfaces which effectively diffuse the light transmitted through the wall 14. A bottom 18 is integral with the sidewall 14 and is located above the lower edge of the sidewall 14 so that the lower edge of the sidewall provides, in effect, a supporting base for the device 10. The bottom 18 has a plurality of radially extending reinforcing ridges 20 and a plurality of shorter reinforcing ridges 22 which provide rigidity for the base and also provide support for a downwardly extending projection 24 of the device which forms a recess 26 extending toward a combustible liquid chamber 28, the diameter of which exceeds its depth.

A metal tube 30 having a plurality of perforations 3-2 in a lower portion thereof is frictionally held in the recess 26 and supports a wick 34. The top of the metal tube 30 extends to a point just below a plane through the top annular edge of the sidewall 14 while the wick 34 extends upwardly beyond the end of the tube 30 and approximately to or slightly above the plane through the annular upper edge of the sidewall 14.

When the chamber 28 is filled with combustible liquid, preferably salad oil, the oil will seep through the perforations 32 and extend up the wick 34 where, when ignited, it will burn with a yellow flame at the top of the device. The light from the flame will be transmitted through the combustible liquid and through the sidewall 14 where it can be diffused by the dilfusing surface 16. As such, the device provides an extremely attractive source of light.

The deviceis effective when used individually as a source of heat to maintain coffee in a carafe, for example, at an elevated temperature. Further, several of the devices, such as six, can be used under a larger casserole dish to maintain food therein at a desired elevated temperature. When the receptacle 12 is filled with oil to the top of the metal tube 30, the supply is suflicient to last for as long as four hours when the receptacle is only about one and three eighth inches in diameter and about three-quarter inch deep. When the oil is consumed, or when the flame is extinguished, the receptacle can be cleaned easily with a minimum of trouble. If the flame is extinguished before the oil is consumed, the oil can be poured into a container and stored for subsequent use.

By using salad oil as the combustible liquid, the fuel cost is very low; further, the device itself, particularly when made of one piece plastic material, is inexpensive. Consequently, both the fuel and the device are low in cost and, therefore, have widespread applications.

The device 10 also can be used to achieve an appearance somewhat similar to a conventional candle. For this purpose, the device 10 is frictionally held in one end of a long tube 36 having a length several times that of the device 10. With the ridged difiusing surface 16 of the sidewall 14, the device is effectively held by friction in the end of the tube 36 with the wick 34 preferably extending slightly beyond the end. The tube 36 can be of the same material as the receptacle 12, namely medium impact polystyrene plastic material. This can be translucent, in which instance the light from the flame is transmitted through the liquid, through the receptacle 12, and substantially through the entire length of the tube 36. The outer surface of the tube 36 also can be provided with a suitable light-dilfusing surface or with various translucent decorations to achieve almost any desired effect.

Various modifications of the above-described embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and it is to be understood that such modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention, it they are within the spirit and the tenor of the accompanying claims.

I claim: I

1. A device for producing light and heat comprising a one-piece receptacle of light transparent plastic material having a sidewall of generally circular transverse crosssectional shape, a circular, substantially planar bottom having a central recess opening toward the interior of the receptacle, a metal tube frictionally held in said recess and extending upwardly to a point near a plane through the upper edge of said sidewall, said tube having a plurality of openings, and a wick in said tube extending substantially the length thereof and protruding above the upper end of said tube to receive a combustible'liquid through said tube openings from a pool of liquid in said receptacle. 7

2. A device according to claim 1 further characterized by a light-transmitting tube having a length several times the length of said receptacle, with said receptacle being frictionally held in an upper end of said tube, with the plane through an upper edge of said sidewall lying near a plane through an edge of said tube.

3. A device according to claim 1 characterized by said sidewall extending below said bottom to provide a supporting base for said device.

4. A device according to claim 1 characterized by a plurality of ribs on the lower surface of said bottom extending radially outwardly from said recess to said cylindrical sidewall.

5. A device according to claim 1 characterized by the outer surface of said sidewall having a light diffusing contour.

6. A heat source for maintaining an elevated temperature of food and drink, .said heat source comprising a metal tube, a receptacle of light-transmitting material having a sidewall and a bottom, said bottom having centrally 7 7. A heat source according to claim 6 characterized by the outer surfaceof said sidewall being contoured to diffuse light transmitted therethrough.

8. A heat source'according to claim 6 wherein a chamber formed by said receptacle is cylindrical with its diam-1 V eter exceeding its depth.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 74,542" 2/1868 Ingersoll 6781 640,950 1/1900 Robertson 67-81 X 1,389,490 8/1921 Cook etal. t 67-36 JAMES w. WESTHAVER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A DEVICE FOR PRODUCING LIGHT AND HEAT COMPRISING A ONE-PIECE RECEPTACLE OF LIGHT TRANSPARENT PLASTIC MATERIAL HAVING A SIDEWALL OF GENERALLY CIRCULAR TRANSVERSE CROSSSECTIONAL SHAPE, A CIRCULAR, SUBSTANTIALLY PLANAR BOTTOM HAVING A CENTRAL RECESS OPENING TOWARD THE INTERIOR OF THE RECEPTACLE, A METAL TUBE FRICTIONALLY HELD IN SAID RECESS AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY TO A POINT NEAR A PLANE THROUGH THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID SIDEWALL, SAID TUBE HAVING A PLURALITY OF OPENINGS, AND A WICK IN SAID TUBE EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY THE LENGTH THEREOF AND PROTRUDING ABOVE THE UPPER END OF SAID TUBE TO RECEIVE A COMBUSTIBLE LIQUID THROUGH SAID TUBE OPENINGS FROM A POOL OF LIQUID IN SAID RECEPTACLE. 